A significant part of my project proposal has been stepping out of my comfort zone to see if there were any artistic avenues in Jeddah — contrary to popular opinion. Looking at my old blog posts I realize I can date it back to that day at Arbab al Heraf. That day two things coincidentally came to my attention: I realized that, hidden in the nooks and crannies of Jeddah, circles of writers and artists bloomed Jeddah, and KSA as a whole, was undergoing a mini-cultural revolution Thus began an exploration that has gained momentum over this last year, almost too …
Tag: artists
#Shemeansbusiness feature
It’s strange because even in my last tutorial with Jonathan I voiced my worry about my varied interests and whether they would at some point converge to make my work a coherent whole. And now, barely a few months later, I can see so many intersections in those interests and I have no difficulty in claiming that I see myself as an artist, writer, humanitarian, social media influencer and, of course, a mom. Literature and art had always intersected for me, and now with the research paper I delve into this connection some more. Then, of course, I have been …
The Untold Edition — what really happened
When I started this MA, my work was divided into two veins. There was my self-taught, studio practice stemming from completely random inspiration, shared with the audience only after it had been edited into material I deemed fit for an audience. Then there were my community projects; an un-choreographed intermingling of me as an artist with my audience. The objectives of these two divisions of my practice were also totally different. Studio practice was sold, or gifted, or simply kept in a folder to look back on. Community projects were small sparks intended to impart a love for art, inspire …
TAABIR — Artists Collective
Outsider art. It’s an interesting term. Used to describe art produced by untrained people or people beyond the sphere of the art world. Personally, I think that the term should have been unnecessary and it is unfortunate that it isn’t so. Art shouldn’t be elitist; it shouldn’t require qualification or expertise to produce. If something is created with the intention of evoking, communicating and connecting, it should suffice as art no matter the expertise or background of the creator. I understand the other half of the debate too though. What about all the development of skill and hard work artists …
The Untold Edition — Phases of planning part 1
I’ve always known that community work is important to me. I think growing up with a dad like mine cultivated that in me. He’s an eye surgeon and his hobby is to host eye camps in the rural areas of Pakistan where people suffer from curable diseases like cataract and spend their whole lives blind. I watched him perform 200 cataract operations a day for nothing and then spend the weekend sleeping on the roofs of clay houses. He enjoyed every moment of it. I saw the looks on those faces when their bandages were unwrapped and they blinked in …